BENGALURU: Displeased with the proposal of introducing NRI quota in government medical colleges and exorbitant fee hike,MBBS students from government medical and dental colleges in the state were seen protesting on Saturday.

Medicos from different parts of the state drew to participate in a convention to show their refusal to accept the implementation of NRI quota in government colleges and exorbitant fee hike for medical and dental courses.

The All India Democratic Students’ Organisation (AIDSO) along with Medical Students Struggle Committee and Dental Students Struggle Committee organised the Medical Students Convention.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that Minister for Medical Education D K Shivakumar had informed the Karnataka legislative assembly about the plan to ahead with the two proposals

The minister stated, “Karnataka Government has plans to enhance the admission fee for both, Post-Graduate (PG) as well as for Under-Graduate (UG) Medical courses in the State.”

He said that there is a proposal to increase MBBS course fee from the present Rs 17000 to Rs 50000 and that of PG courses from Rs 50000 to Rs 3 lakhs.

In response to question in the question hour, the Medical Education Minister had stated that the government will implement the policy from the coming academic year 2019-2020.

He also informed that Karnataka government is likely to introduce Non-Resident Indian (NRI) quota in all its state-run medical colleges; so that the fees paid by these medical students could be used to patch up the financial conditions of these institutes

“The move to consider NRI quota in government colleges is a major decision,” he added.

The students, medical colleges’ authorities as well as medical associations, however, were not quite pleased with the fee hike and the idea of introducing NRI quota.

AIDSO condemned the Karnataka government’s proposal to increase the fees for PG and MBBS students and also to introduce NRI quota in Government Medical Colleges. The organisation asked the state government to withdraw such a proposal and called it anti-Constitution and anti-public.

AIDSO District President H M Basavaraju alleged that the state government is trying to commercialise medical education. The Government Medical Colleges is the only hope for poor students who wanted to study Medical course but the proposed decision to hike fees will deprive them to fulfil their dream of becoming a Doctor. The government is trying to deprive them of their well-deserved opportunity.

He said that the new proposal before the State government will allow only rich people to study Medical Course and medical field would be a sheer business.

“Students can’t be a source of funds for the government. NRI quota, which reduces merit seats, is illegal,” Sithara HM, district vice-president, AIDSO, told TOI.

Rich politicians will pay heavy fee in Medical colleges but Government should consider poor people who have got seat in Medical colleges, secondly people who voted wrong people had been branded with iron rod of heavy fees let people suffer they vote for the irresponsible people.